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Shaved Asparagus Salad with Quinoa

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This shaved asparagus salad with quinoa recipe is a delicious side dish!

It packs well for a take-to-work lunch or makes a great side salad for dinner. 

It's topped with a zesty dressing made from orange juice and mustard - it adds a punch of flavor that pairs well with the subtle asparagus and quinoa.

Shaved asparagus and quinoa salad in a white bowl with a spoon.
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This delicious asparagus quinoa salad is the best! It's so easy to make, and it's bursting with flavor.

The kicky dressing is made with wholegrain mustard, orange juice, and olive oil.

This vegan salad recipe is made with plenty of fresh ingredients - it's light and refreshing.

If you're looking for a lunch that you can easily take to work, this salad works great. It tastes great served warm or cold.

Shaved Asparagus Salad Ingredients

Asparagus, orange, red quinoa, olive oil, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper.

Asparagus - You'll need one bunch of fresh asparagus. You'll use a vegetable peeler to make asparagus ribbons. No need to cook the asparagus - raw asparagus is delicious! It's best to get thicker asparagus, it's easier to make into ribbons than thin stalks.

Quinoa - You'll need ½ cup of uncooked red quinoa (or black quinoa).

Orange - You'll need the zest of one orange and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Mustard - You'll need ½ tablespoon of wholegrain mustard.

Shallot - You'll use 1 shallot, that you'll thinly slice.

Olive Oil - You'll need 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

Salt and Pepper - You'll need ½ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

How to Make this Easy Salad

Make the Quinoa - Cook the quinoa by adding it to a saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Once all the water has been absorbed, remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork. 

Cooked red quinoa in a small pot.

Shave the Asparagus - While the quinoa is cooking, create asparagus ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Grip the woody end of the asparagus and move the peeler away from you - creating long strands. 

Shaved asparagus in a mixing bowl.

Make the Dressing - Combine the orange juice, zest, mustard, scallion, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. 

Pull Together the Salad - Combine the quinoa, asparagus ribbons, and dressing in a large bowl and stir gently to combine.

Shaved asparagus being tossed with cooked quinoa in a yellow mixing bowl.

More Delicious Asparagus Recipes

If you love asparagus, try one of these delicious recipes!

A closeup shot of shaved asparagus salad.

Tips for Making this Asparagus Quinoa Salad

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Cooking Tips - Make sure to give your quinoa 10 to 15 minutes to sit after it comes off the heat. This will allow your quinoa to soak up any residual water.

Recommended Tools - I highly recommend using a Y-peeler to make the asparagus ribbons.

Optional Additions - There are a lot of potential add-ons for this simple salad, like toasted pine nuts, crumbly goat cheese, or feta cheese.

Storage Instructions - You can save this salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Yield: 4 side salad servings

Shaved Asparagus Salad

Shaved asparagus quinoa salad in a white serving bowl.

This shaved asparagus salad with quinoa recipe is a great option for lunch or a side salad for dinner. 

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup uncooked red quinoa
  • 1 bunch of asparagus
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1 teaspoon of orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook the quinoa by adding it to a saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Once all the water has been absorbed, remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork. 
  3. While the quinoa is cooking, create asparagus ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Grip the woody end of the asparagus and move the peeler away from you - creating long strands. 
  4. Combine the orange juice, olive oil, mustard, orange zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. 
  5. Combine the quinoa, asparagus ribbons, sliced shallot, and dressing in a large bowl and stir gently to combine.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 101Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 67mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g

Emily S

Sunday 31st of March 2024

Is there a way to make this good with thin stalks?

Emily S

Monday 1st of April 2024

@EW, I made them with thin stalks sliced into quarters and then into segments for Easter dinner. They were a bit woody - would it have helped to par boil them? I don't think we get thick asparagus in my area

EW

Sunday 31st of March 2024

It will taste great with thin stalks as well - they are just harder to make into ribbons :)

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